An amazing amount of experienced drivers lack skill and confidence when it comes to parking their car. Female drivers tend to have more problems with spatial awareness and close manoeuvring. Driver trainers must be prepared to assist learners and experienced drivers in regard to parking.
Many drivers will avoid crowded streets if they have difficulty parking in confined spaces. Some car parks have very narrow bays which some motorists will drive many a mile to avoid. A fear of damaging their own vehicles or other people's property is the main reason to choose larger car parks or go for on street parking
Changing plans at the last minute is probably the most extreme form of this behaviour. If a trip is important this can be a real issue. A simple trip to town may be changed but if a journey is important this may not be a possibility. Skills quickly degrade if they are not practised so if motorists do not need to reverse park then they will soon lose the necessary skills. Causes for losing manoeuvring skill include having their own driveway at their property or simply taking a prolonged break from driving.
Some experts believe that parking should be removed from the driving test but this would probably be a mistake. These are important skills used throughout a persons entire driving career. Both the bay park and the parallel park have been requirements of the driving test for many years. The parallel park does not have to be done into a space though, rather the candidate is only required to park behind one car finishing within two car lengths. This hardly prepares new drivers for the real world. The bay park will not be covered at all if the local test centre does not have it's own car park. Driver training does not have to end on passing the test and bespoke post test tuition is an area that could have many benefits.
Those giving driving lessons could provide training in parking for those who require it. Brushing up on the key skills of control and observation would benefit other areas of driving and save money on repairs to car bodywork, making such training a wise investment. Manoeuvres could be reinforced as part of the pass plus course , especially if the bay park was not learned previously in training.
Driving Instruction Check Test Criteria – Risk Management
The test of continued fitness to instruct is changing for driving instructors in order to take a more client centred approach. This replaces a system which placed importance on fault finding and demands more direct pupil involvement. Risk management is a main topic in the new version of the test so let's take a look at this.
Teaching Roundabouts on Driving Lessons
Today's roads feature some very busy and complex roundabouts. Multi lane roundabouts with multiple junctions and tight mini roundabouts occur in close proximity to each other. These environments demand a wide range of driving skills. Let's look at what driver trainers need to teach regarding roundabouts.
What are Traffic Light Workshop Schemes?
When a motorist fails to stop at a red light they may opt to take a traffic light workshop course. This replaces endorsement points and a fine. The course is designed to make motorists aware of the danger of failing to stop at red traffic lights and hopefully change driver behaviour.
